Our co-pending international patent application PCT/GB03/03226 describes the formation of porous beads comprising a three dimensional open-cell lattice of a water-soluble polymeric material with an average bead diameter in the range 0.2 to 5mm.
These are typically ‘templated’ materials formed by the removal of a non-aqueous dispersed phase from a high internal phase emulsion. The beads are freeze-dried to remove the bulk of the aqueous phase. This leaves a ‘skeletal’ form of the emulsion behind. The beads dissolve rapidly in water and have the remarkable property that a water insoluble component dispersed in the emulsion prior to drying can also be dispersed in water on solution of the beads. Surfactant is typically present as an emulsifier.
There are many instances in personal care products such as deodorants, skin and hair cleaning or care products or in household products such as laundry cleaning and care products or household cleaning or care products for hard and soft surfaces where it is desirable to administer hydrophobic materials in an aqueous environment. Because of the hydrophobic nature of these materials they are often reluctant to disperse in an aqueous environment. A non-limiting example of such a material is Triclosan™ (also known as Irgasan™), a chlorinated di-phenyl ether compound (5-Chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol). This is a widely used antibacterial compound but is only sparingly soluble in water at neutral pH. It would be advantageous to have a means of rapidly forming a solution of Triclosan without the use of special solvents or alkaline pH.
The present invention is concerned with the production of bodies which are not beads and which have lower levels of surfactant present.